In the unassuming town of Okemos, tucked into a modest strip mall where you’d least expect to find culinary greatness, Saddleback BBQ is quietly changing Michigan’s reputation in the smoked meat universe one perfectly rendered brisket at a time.
The first thing that hits you isn’t the sight—it’s the smell.
That intoxicating aroma of wood smoke and slowly rendering meat fat creates an invisible tractor beam that pulls you through the door with a force that would impress NASA engineers.
Michigan might be famous for its Great Lakes, automobile heritage, and cherry festivals, but barbecue? That’s traditionally been the domain of states further south…